


Nightingale Song

by paradisedise



Series: Won't Settle For No Less [2]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drinking, M/M, Slice of Life, Tattoos, Trypanophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-05-08
Packaged: 2018-10-29 12:08:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10853706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paradisedise/pseuds/paradisedise
Summary: Normally he had to overthink everything before making the smallest decision so was was little impressed at how impulsive he was being.  Maybe a permanent body modification wasn’t the best thing to get done spontaneously, though.  It was too late now.





	Nightingale Song

Taeyong really didn’t mean to drink this much. It wasn’t his fault. Yuta took him to the bar and kept buying him shots and who was he to turn down a shot? It wasn’t a particularly special occasion, just Yuta’s normal antics. Taeyong could always count on him when he needed a night of self-destruction. He was starting to get sleepy while sitting on the barstool, though, so he leaned on Yuta’s shoulder.

“It’s not a good idea to fall asleep here, Yongie,” Yuta slurred, shrugging Taeyong off. “Besides, it’s not even eleven yet.” 

“But I’m sleepy,” Taeyong drawled, resting his elbows on the glossy mahogany of the bar. A long, stressful week at work was weighing down on Taeyong’s mind. Two students earlier in the week had fought, leading to a meltdown and then an angry parent yelling at him during pickup time. The same parent sent an aggressive email to the principal of the school. Luckily the principal was understanding towards Taeyong, knowing the altercation wasn’t his fault. Nevertheless, he felt like he needed a night out take the edge off. A stupid, stupid idea popped into his head. “Hey Yuta, you know what would be a good idea?”

“What?”

“If I got a tattoo.”

“That’s the stupidest idea you’ve ever had,” Yuta smirked. “But you should.” 

After struggling through a google search and clicking on some questionable ads, the two of them found a suitable tattoo parlor. It was close to the bar and open until midnight--just enough time to get there before it closed. The neon lights were bright down the street and the two of them walked along the sideway, giggling of the idiocy of what Taeyong was about to do. The the bell on the door jingled as Yuta pushed it open and Taeyong stumbled in after. 

“I want a tattoo.”

“Great, you need an appointment,” the person at the desk deadpanned, clearly unamused by Taeyong’s less than sober state. “Do you want to make one now and then come back later?”

Taeyong pouted. “Is there anyone who can give me one right now? I want it right now.”

The desk person scowled and slipped into the back room. She returned and Taeyong could see al figure following her out. “It’s your lucky day, one of our artists has a cancellation. This is Jaehyun, he’ll be helping you out today.” The desk lady gave Taeyong a contract and a pen and the boy signed it lazily. 

“It’s nice to meet you.” Jaehyun stuck his hand out for Taeyong to shake it. Taeyong put on as charming of a intoxicated grin as he could and shook the artist’s hand. “What are you looking to get done today?”

Looking at Jaehyun a little closer, Taeyong could see that the other was painfully attractive. He was tall, a few inches taller than Taeyong from what he could tell. Jaehyun had black hair, shiny with one side shaved, falling in his face like he had been working all day. His face was soft and disgustingly handsome. Suddenly Taeyong felt a little less drunk. He hadn’t even thought about what he wanted as a tattoo, only where he wanted it. “I dunno,” he said lamely.

“Okay, well why don’t you come back to the studio with me and we can talk about it.” 

“I’ll be in the waiting room,” Yuta giggled. The horrible smirk on his face was a dead giveaway that he knew exactly what Taeyong was thinking. Yuta could always read him perfectly and Taeyong hated it sometimes. 

“So, tell me a little bit about yourself.” Jaehyun asked as Taeyong followed him into the private studio. There was artwork on the walls, colorful and gorgeous. He was still drunk but nerves were beginning to poke through the veil of drunken invincibility. Suddenly he remembered he was terrified of needles. Now his heart was really starting to race, a combination of alcohol, anxiety, and how gorgeous the tattoo artist was. 

“My name is Taeyong, I’m twenty-six and I work as a preschool teacher,” his voice shook. He had honestly wanted a tattoo for a long time, something pretty on his back. He wanted it to be something memorable. “How long have you been tattooing?” 

“Well, I started when I was twenty-one and I’m twenty-four now, so around three years. Any ideas of what you want done? My specialty is color, so if I were to recommend anything that would be it.” Jaehyun gestured for Taeyong to sit down.

“I was thinking about maybe a compass? Something pretty traditional looking. I’m okay with just seeing what you come up with.” 

“Sounds good, I’ll draw something up and you can let me know what you think.” 

There was music playing softly from a speaker in the corner of the room as Jaehyun sat and scribbled in a sketchbook. His gaze was focused and the sound of pencil on paper calmed Taeyong down a little bit. The prospect of a needle coming near him was terrifying but he closed his eyes and breathed deeply. An indefinite amount of time passed. 

“Taeyong?” Jaehyun’s voice was low and soft. “I’m done sketching.” 

Embarrassed, Taeyong opened his eyes. Jaehyun walked over and handed the paper to Taeyong. It was gorgeous, a compass with a chain and floral embellishments. It was perfect, everything Taeyong could have imagined and more. “I love it.” 

Jaehyun’s sleepy eyes lit up. “Really? That’s great. Should I get the stencil ready?” 

Taeyong nodded, his nerves really starting to act up. Jaehyun got the stencil prepared after Taeyong told him how big he wanted it, around the size of his palm. Normally he had to overthink everything before making the smallest decision so was was little impressed at how impulsive he was being. Maybe a permanent body modification wasn’t the best thing to get done spontaneously, though. It was too late now. 

“Where do you want it?” Jaehyun asked, walking over with the stencil. Taeyong felt unbelievably embarrassed. He knew that there were some preconceived notions about lower back tattoos, but he had fantasized about it enough and knew that's where he wanted it. 

“My, uh, lower back.” 

“Sure, lay down on your stomach.” There wasn’t an ounce of judgement in Jaehyun’s voice. Taeyong did as he said, laying on the bench and trying to will himself calm. Jaehyun walked over and inched up his shirt. His touch was light and it made Taeyong tense up, the situation becoming all too real. The taller pressed the stencil into his skin and asked Taeyong to get up and look in the mirror. 

“Do you like it?” Jaehyun asked, leaning against the bench. Taeyong looked at himself in the mirror and actually loved how it looked, details sitting between the dimples adorning his back. He admired it for a while and then glanced up to see Jaehyun staring at him in the reflection of the mirror. The taller quickly averted his gaze. 

“Yeah, I like it a lot.” 

“Great, wanna lay down then?”

Taeyong nodded and hopped up on the seat, laying down on his stomach. Jaehyun got everything prepared, sanitizing the equipment and Taeyong’s skin. The machine started and the droning buzz fired Taeyong’s anxiety up again. 

“I’m gonna start now,” Jaehyun murmured, focused. The needle was a hair breadth away from his skin and Taeyong could feel himself tensing up, clenching his teeth. “I need you to relax, though.” 

“Sorry, I’m just not great with needles,” Taeyong said, embarrassed, willing his muscles to unwind. Thank god for alcohol, because otherwise Taeyong would be losing it. Going to the doctors and getting shots were some of the most unpleasant moments of his childhood, and now was hardly any different. 

“Oh, that’s alright,” Jaehyun’s voice was gentle. “Can I start now?” 

Taeyong nodded, and Jaehyun began tattooing him. Thank god Taeyong had a high pain tolerance because fuck, it hurt. He should have asked what the most sensitive areas for tattoos were before he decided to get one where he did. Taeyong clenched his teeth, anxious and in pain. Jaehyun was focused, zeroed in on his work. He looked sexy like that, Taeyong thought, based on the reflection of them together in the mirror on the wall. Jaehyun was singing along softly to whatever song was playing from the speaker and it relaxed Taeyong slightly. He has a nice singing voice, Taeyong thought. The noise was soothing and time passed way quicker than Taeyong could have imagined. 

“Well, I have most of it done but we’re closing up shop. I have an opening tomorrow, if you want to come back and finish it up,” Jaehyun’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts. “I’ll wrap this up and then you can make the appointment up front.” 

Taeyong was quiet as the artist tended to his work. All he did to say goodbye was a closed mouth smile and Taeyong was blindsided by two dimples that dipped into his cheeks. Taeyong’s stomach flipped at the sight, and he dreamt of that smile all night. 

The next day Taeyong returned to the tattoo parlour, sans Yuta. His heart was racing faster than it was last night, despite being completely sober. All of his thoughts last night before falling asleep and as he was getting ready this morning were about Jaehyun. The other was reserved, borderline stand-offish but there was a warmth to him that Taeyong couldn’t describe. The way he sang when he was so focused was endearing and Taeyong wanted to hear that voice again. It was Jaehyun at the desk this time. He looked up when the door opened.

“Taeyong, hi,” he said, sounding a little breathless. “It’s good to see you again. Wanna get started?” 

Taeyong nodded, following Jaehyun back to the studio again. He got back on the table, laying on his front again. When the machine turned on a bout of nausea hit his gut because fuck, he was completely sober and a needle was about to come near him. He was sure his whole body was trembling, embarrassment making everything worse. After a moment he heard Jaehyun’s footsteps near him and then a halt. 

“Oh.” The buzz of the tattoo machine stopped. “Hey, Taeyong, is everything okay?” 

Taeyong’s eyes were squeezed shut. “Sorry, it’s just harder today I think.” 

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it.” There was a warm palm on his back and the touch was comforting. “We have lots of time, I don’t have an appointment after you.” 

“Okay,” Taeyong breathed, “I’ll try and calm down.” There were a lot of things Taeyong was scared of, needles only being one of them. He was fainthearted when it came to these types of things and he felt bad that Jaehyun had to see the blunt of it. Jaehyun’s hand on his back began rubbing and Taeyong savored the touch. “Thank you.” 

“Of course.” 

There was a pause, comfortable silence settling between them. Taeyong broke the lull in conversation. “Did you always want to be a tattoo artist?” 

“Not when I was younger, no,” Jaehyun said after a thoughtful moment. “I wanted to be a singer when I was a kid.” 

“You do have a nice voice, at least what I could tell from last night.” Taeyong turned to rest his cheek on his arms, stealing a glance at Jaehyun. The other had a small smile on his face, dimples hinting at his skin. “Do you still sing a lot?” 

“I like to sing when I’m working, it helps me focus. I play guitar sometimes too, but nothing serious,” Jaehyun explained, looking at Taeyong. “Did you always want to be a preschool teacher?” 

“I knew for a while that I wanted to work with kids. I always like taking care of my baby cousins and volunteering at daycares, so I figured why not turn it into a career. It’s hard sometimes but also very rewarding.” 

“I can imagine. I like kids a lot too, as hard as that might be to believe considering how I look.” God, Jaehyun’s voice was so nice, Taeyong thought. The low timbre of it made Taeyong want to close his eyes and listen to it forever. The muscles in his back were relaxing under Jaehyun’s comforting touch. They lapsed into silence, Jaehyun eventually pulling his hand away. “Do you think you’re ready to go?” 

Much more relaxed than before, Taeyong opened his eyes. Jaehyun was looking at him with benevolence in his eyes. “Yeah, I think I’m good now.” 

Jaehyun got up and turned the machine back on, and began his work. It was crazy how much better Taeyong felt, even after talking with Jaehyun for such a short time. 

“Jaehyun, lower back tattoos aren’t trashy, right?” 

“They’re not trashy if you’re not trashy, Taeyong. And I don’t think you’re trashy.” 

Before long it was done, and Jaehyun took Taeyong over to the mirror to look at the finished product. The skin was red and raw, but Taeyong truly loved it. A tattoo was something he had thought about for a long time but something was holding him back for the longest time. He finally did it, thought, and it felt good. “I love it,” he said, looking at Jaehyun in the reflection. 

Jaehyun had a smile on his face. “I do too.” He cleaned and wrapped it up, taking Taeyong back out to the waiting room. 

“Can I see you again?” he asked, something hopeful in his eyes.

“Oh, does it need another touch up or something?” Taeyong thought it was actually done this time. A furious blush bloomed on Jaehyun’s soft cheeks. 

 

“It doesn’t, I just sort of wanted to see you again myself.” 

Oh, Jaehyun was asking him out. Taeyong could only imagine that he was just as red as the taller, hardly comprehending what was happening. He hadn’t been out on a date in a while and he couldn’t believe that someone that kind to him would want to take him out. 

Taeyong went home that day with fresh ink on his skin and a new contact in his phone.

**Author's Note:**

> i don't condone making choices while under the influence lol. i was thinking something like [this](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/9c/1b/ba/9c1bba3928df704bffd29c126b4011c6.jpg)
> 
> idk how i feel about this??? i feel like it's kinda awkward but i feel like it's valuable background information. what do you guys want to see next in this series???
> 
> as always comments and kudos appreciated :)


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